The Cruelty-Free Makeup Brands To Know

These Makeup Brands Are Totally Cruelty-Free

When news of Estée Lauder’s acquisition of Too Faced broke yesterday, some of us couldn’t help but marvel at the £1.15-billion price tag. (It's the most expensive buy to date from the company, after all.) However, others worried about the brand’s widely appreciated cruelty-free status: Would it remain intact under the Estée umbrella?

Too Faced cofounder Jerrod Blandino put the concern to rest, immediately telling WWD, “We will not be animal testing, we will not be going into China, we will not be made to fold into a corporate culture that we do not have. [Estée Lauder Companies] love and respect what we have created and are just going to support us and lift us up, without changing us in any way but great.”

Not only have customers found that reassurance comforting, but the discussion also gives a new reason to continue supporting the cause. After all, what better way to spark change than by showing mega-conglomerates just how lucrative cruelty-free cosmetics can be? However, some have addressed frustration in how to identify if something is truly cruelty-free. There are multiple labelling systems, along with a bevy of carefully worded brand statements against animal testing that actually allow for the practice in some instances. So even for those looking to support these brands, they’re not always easy to find.

To help navigate the waters, we've rounded up some of our favourite cruelty-free beauty brands for you. Ahead, find brands (some independently owned, some owned by a parent company) that don't engage in animal testing with either raw or finished materials and products. They also don't contract other parties to test on animals on their behalf, or sell any products in countries where animal testing is required. Some are drugstore brands, others luxe — but they’re all offering the kind of pigment payoff that’s certifiably lust-worthy, no matter where you stand on the issue.